Hello everyone, I recently bought three tapes on second hand market, as you can see on these images:

They are longplay tapes, 1800ft, full of music at 3 3/4 ips 4 track.
I've only listened to one tape for about 20 minutes, it does sound pretty good, better then the most prerecorded tapes I have of popular music albums.

Does anybody know more about this kind of tapes?
It says "American Airlines".
Were they used for background music? Or maybe everyone could buy them? (ar the airport maybe? :D)

From the artists and titles on the tapes I would say they would be from somewhere late 1960's.

So I'm just being curiuos. The seller didn't know anything about the tapes, suppose he just found them on some attic nobody had been in 30 years.

I believe, according to DaveinVa, that they were primarily used in airport lounges basically as muzak.

I have a few of them - when I just need something to play for awhile, I'll put one on my RT-707.

Note there is the "classical" series, and then the "popular" series - which was contemporary songs of the era. I noticed that the "popular" ones go for a lot more on Ebay than the "classical". To me, the "popular" ones are so dated now, that the classical stuff, being as timeless as it is, is more listenable!

From the Westminster and Command graphics on the box, I'd say that these should have some very well recorded classical on them. Command was the audiophile label of Enoch Light. They pioneered recording on movie film back in the 60's. Very nice tapes even at 3 3/4ips is always a great find. )(

The tapes I have are well-recorded. Back in their day, these reels could have also been in the planes, but I wouldn't vouch for that. I believe the tape machines on board were of an endless loop type of cartridge - not a consumer format.

Although I remember (TWA Boeing 707) seeing my first "Inflight Movie" (The Heroes Of Telemark -ca. 1965) in 16mm from a drop down capsule in the overhead! The staff even passed out a full-color program guide to the passengers! It was a big deal back then. Now people are bored to death staring at the seatback flat panels with so many channels! And with sat TV to boot!